Dr. Dianne Stewart, professor of religion and African American studies at Emory University, examines Black love on the latest episode of the Black History Year podcast.
LISTEN NOW: Black History Year Deconstructing Black Love with Dianne Stewart
Inspired by her research and teaching in Black love studies, much of Dr. Stewart's work examines the structural forces that have made coupling and marriage difficult for Black people. “Love is the foundation for anything prosocial for anything we want to accomplish,” says Dr. Stewart. “Love is essential to liberation. Love gives us the quality we need to liberate ourselves,” she continued.
Dr. Stewart additionally discussed her book Black Women, Black Love: America’s War on African American Marriage. Initially she began conducting focus groups with Black women across different age ranges. In her findings, she realized that she had to further explain “forbidden Black love” to her audience. “What I mean by forbidden Black love… I’m referring to the structures and systems that make love, coupling, and marriage difficult, delayed, or impossible for millions of Black people.”
For a much deeper dive, listen to the full episode, now on Audacy
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